UK: Lawmaker Warns Chinese Spy Who Befriended Prince Andrew is 'Tip of the Iceberg'
Senior British Member of Parliament Iain Duncan Smith has warned that the alleged Chinese spy who had reportedly fostered close ties with Prince Andrew is just "the tip of the iceberg" of Beijing's attempts to spy on officials in the UK.
Facts
- Senior British Member of Parliament Iain Duncan Smith has warned that the alleged Chinese spy who had reportedly fostered close ties with Prince Andrew is just "the tip of the iceberg" of Beijing's attempts to spy on officials in the UK.[1]
- The former Conservative leader said there are "many more involved in exactly this kind of espionage." He referenced China's United Front Work Department (UFWD), which allegedly employs 40K global surveillance and influence operatives.[1][2]
- Smith's remarks came amid a continuing backlash after Prince Andrew's relationship with the suspected spy was revealed during an immigration tribunal late last week.[3]
- During that hearing, judges ruled that former Home Secretary Suella Braverman was right to ban the individual — identified only as "H6" following an anonymity order — from the UK in 2023 over his UFWD and Chinese Communist Party links.[4]
- The suspected spy reportedly met and was pictured with former British Prime Ministers Lord David Cameron and Baroness Theresa May. Their representatives said the leaders met with thousands and denied having additional information about their interactions with the individual.[5]
- On Monday, a High Court judge lifted the anonymity order, identifying the individual as Yang Tengbo, also known as Chris Yang.[6]
Sources: [1]The Guardian (a), [2]Express, [3]Sky News (a), [4]Independent, [5]Sky News (b) and [6]The Guardian (b).
Narratives
- Right narrative, as provided by Express. The Labour Party is so desperate to avoid negative economic numbers under its leadership that it will do anything to avoid upsetting China. However, Beijing poses a real threat to the UK and Labour's failure to take the problem seriously could have huge implications.
- Left narrative, as provided by The Guardian. The Labour government continues to take a very strong approach towards China and its suspected espionage of British officials. However, China is one of the world's biggest economies and Britain cannot simply cease all interaction with it as this would have negative ramifications for British businesses.
